Beyond the Emergency Department: Dr Nicole Grant's Entrepreneurial Journey

For Dr Nicole Grant (BSc (Med) MB BS 1999), a career in emergency medicine and launching a beverage company might seem worlds apart. But for the regional NSW doctor, both are driven by a common interest: helping people make healthier choices.

Nicole, an Emergency Medicine Specialist based in Orange, co-founded Collide Drinks with her husband Matt, a professional chef. Together, they combined their expertise in health and nutrition to create a soft drink containing collagen, caffeine and zero sugar.

The idea for Collide was born during a five-month sabbatical in Iceland in 2023, where Nicole worked in an emergency department while her family travelled. Inspired by the innovative beverages they discovered overseas, Nicole and Matt returned home determined to create a soft drink that was both delicious and better for you. What began as an idea has grown into an unexpected entrepreneurial journey, with Collide now stocked in more than 75 retail outlets across Australia.

For Nicole, the business is a natural extension of her experiences as a doctor. “As an ED doctor, you see a wide variety of health conditions, including obesity, diabetes and arthritis,” she says. “I have always been keen to focus on health through exercise and nutrition, so making a soft drink that aligned with this was important.” 

The product reflects the partnership between Nicole's medical knowledge and Matt's culinary expertise.

“We wanted to create a soft drink that was ‘better for you’, leaning on both the science and flavour components,” she says. “We have used my knowledge of collagen and zero sugar, alongside Matt’s experience with flavour. This is a soft drink with benefits that tastes amazing.”

Nicole's career has been shaped by regional medicine since graduating from UNSW in 1999. After completing her internship and residency in Orange, she trained as an Emergency Medicine Specialist at St George Hospital before returning to Orange with her family in 2014. She now combines emergency department work with critical care telehealth support across Western NSW.

“Working in rural medicine teaches you to think differently,” she says. “It has taught me to be more self-sufficient but also demonstrated how important it is to support those around you.” 

Despite the demands of running a growing business, Nicole remains committed to her clinical work.

“I love my work and would never give it up.”

More than 25 years after graduating, she still credits UNSW with helping shape her career.

“UNSW has such an amazing medical faculty and the teaching we received was exceptional.” 

Her advice to fellow alumni considering a passion project?

“Do it. One of the teachings from being a doctor is that life is short and random. If you have the drive, anything is possible.”

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